Caribbean ET Round-Up

Guyanese-born, Barbados-based singer, producer, song writer, musician and label owner, Eddy Grant, has released a new album after many years.

News Americas, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, Fri. Oct. 20, 2017: Officials in Barbados are considering naming a street after its most famous daughter.

The name of Westbury New Road, the street in Bridgetown, where Bajan superstar Rihanna grew up, will soon be named ‘Rihanna Drive’ in honor of the singer, actress and entrepreneur.

The renaming will be done on November 30, Barbados’s Independence Day.

In this handout photo provided by One Voice: Somos Live!, XXX onstage during “One Voice: Somos Live! A Concert For Disaster Relief” at the Universal Studios Lot on October 14, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.

JLo Raises Millions For Puerto Rico

Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez and boyfriend Alex Rodriguez raised over $26 million before the October 14th special benefit concert telecast One Voice: Somos Live! A Concert for Disaster Relief, through corporate donations from the business, sports and entertainment world.

The concert and telethon, which Lopez hosted with Marc Anthony, brought in over $9 million, which brings the total amount raised to over $35 million by the end of the evening.

Edwin Yearwood Among Entertainers For Concert To Support Barbuda School

Several Caribbean entertainers including Barbados’ Edwin Yearwood of Krosfyah; Trinidad & Tobago soca artist Shurwayne Winchester; Antigua and Barbuda King Short Shirt and Burning Flames, DJ Roy and Dubbmaster Chris of Irie Jam Radio are among artists and deejays set to help raise money in Queens this November to help rebuild a school on the islands of Barbuda.

The ‘For the Love of Barbuda Concert,’ set for Amazura Concert Hall, 91-12 144th Place, Queens, NY on Veterans Sunday, November 12, from 4 p.m. will raise money for the Barbuda McChesney George Secondary School that was decimated by Hurricane Irma.

“No individual can rebuild an entire island totally destroyed by the hurricanes of 2017,” explain Wendy Gomes and Andrea James, co-chairs of For the Love of Barbuda Concert Committee. “But every individual can contribute to help construct a building or institution such as Barbuda McChesney George Secondary School.”

Concert tickets are $55 each and available online here. For persons who cannot attend the concert or do not reside in New York City, they can still donate at fortheloveofbarbuda.eventbrite.com.

Tax deductible donations can also be made via checks payable to:

Antigua and Barbuda Students Association, USA Inc.

C/O W. Gomes

2 Park Lane, Suite 1E

Mount Vernon, NY 10552

Guyana-Born Int. Singer Eddy Grant To Drop New Album

Guyanese-born, Barbados-based singer, producer, song writer, musician and label owner, Eddy Grant, has released a new album after many years.

The album is named after the village he grew up in Guyana – “Plaisance” – and includes tracks like “True To You.”

Grant, 69, was a founding member of The Equals, one of the United Kingdom’s first racially integrated pop groups. He is also known for a successful solo career that includes the platinum single “Electric Avenue”and pioneered the genre ‘ringbang.’

Last year, Grant received a lifetime achievement award from the government of Guyana.

Caribbean record company, VP Records, is counting down to the release of its iconic “Strictly the Best” compilation series, set to drop on November 17th. The two new albums – Volume 56 & 57 – will be available for physical worldwide distribution on November 17th. Volume 56 is now available for pre-order and features current and emerging lover’s rock and roots reggae jams such as “Trouble” from Romain Virgo and “Better than the Stars” from Christopher Martin, in addition to exclusives such as “This Is Love” from Gentleman, “Smile from Jah-Lil, and “No Soul, No Heart, No Love” from Junior Kelly.

Dancehall Star Back In Jail

Popular dancehall star Ninja Man is back in jail in Jamaica. The singer, whose real name is Desmond Ballentine, had his bail revoked by Justice Martin Gayle this week at the end of day one of his long-delayed murder trial in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston.

Ninja Man was arrested and charged in 2009 along with his son, Janeil, and another man, Dennis Clayton, for the fatal shooting of Ricardo Johnson that same year.